New York Yankees Flashback: The ’17 Team Marches On

Apr 12, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) points to his teammates after scoring a run against the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees offense powered through on Sunday, June 11. 2017, in the Bronx, as they followed up a 16-3 pounding of Baltimore the day before with a 14-3 victory. They plated five in the first, punctuated by a Gary Sanchez bomb, and barely skipped a beat when the O’s came back with three in the third against Chad Green, a guy who was to have a career year in the pen after this, what may have been his last start.

Two home runs by Aaron Judge, the first measured at 595 feet, and one from Starlin Castro, were to follow as the Yanks won going away. One day after Adam West passed away, references to Batman, and music from the show and movies, dominated the festivities.

It did not make huge headlines at the time, but would have a decade or so later. On June 11, 1995, the Yankees sent both Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter to the minor leagues.

“One is the loneliest number,” classic rock group Three Dog Night sang years ago, but to Yankee fans, zero seemed the more painful 15 years ago this day. Astros relievers Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner finished when injured starter Roy Oswalt could not continue, carrying the Astros to an 8-0, June 11, 2003, victory and the first no-hitter against the Yankees since Hoyt Wilhelm pulled it off in 1958.

Starting pitcher Rick Rhoden batted seventh as the Yankee designated hitter on June 11, 1988, ahead of Rafael Santana and Joel Skinner, when he became the first pitcher to start a game in that role since the DH was adopted in 1973. He notched a sac fly in the Yankee 8-6 win over Baltimore.